Tag Archives: Craig Reaves
Beaufort’s shrimping industry on the brink. Local boats sit while imported catch floods market
Thursday at Village Creek on St. Helena Island was another picture postcard-worthy morning with an American flag lilting in a slight southeast breeze near the shrimper Gracie Bell — idly tied to the dock. At Sea Eagle Market, a catch of shrimp swept up in the nets of trawlers in recent days are being processed by small group of dockside workers. They clean the valuable seafood crop harvested from waters as far away as North Carolina to the northeast coast of Florida before being sold locally and up and down the Palmetto State’s coast. After this recent harvest was completed, the boats returned, as they always do — to Village Creek, home base for shrimping on Fripp and Hunting Islands in Beaufort County and beyond. Against this serene backdrop, a storm is brewing that threatens destruction. It is not the threat of foul weather, these shrimpers have seen generations of bad weather days. The storm brewing is economic for the community of shrimpers and related businesses. >click to read< 10:10
Beaufort County shrimpers netting big white shrimp as season opens. ‘Thankful everyday’
Craig Reaves loves his office: The southern coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The owner of Beaufort-based Sea Eagle Market was among 20 shrimp boat captains who were at work Thursday, plying the waters near Pritchards Inlet near Fripp Island. It was opening day of the commercial shrimp trawling season, which is a big deal in a state where shrimp is the favorite Seafood and cities name festivals in honor of the delicious crustaceans. Nets dragged the bottom of the ocean catching big early-season white roe-shrimp. When the fishing day is done, this variety will usually fetch higher prices. “We serve a mighty God so we’re thankful everyday we get to come to work every day in the ocean,” Reaves said. “Beautiful.” >click to read< 07:55
Beaufort County residents step in to raise money for damaged F/V Gracie Belle
The 80-foot shrimping trawler “Gracie Belle” still sits at a dock on Saint Helena Island, despite the fact that it was meant to be out catching Beaufort County’s food. Owner Craig Reaves said the vessel was heavily damaged after getting caught in severe weather two weeks ago on opening day of the season. “I called the captain on the phone and he said that the mast had broke and there was an outrigger down. Basically, you know, he panicked,” Reaves said. Reaves said this all happened around 3 a.m. off of Pritchards Island. He said his crew felt in danger, and called the U.S. Coast Guard to be rescued. The crew had to leave “Gracie Belle” at sea. When Reaves went to recover his vessel Wednesday morning, the damage was worse than he was originally told. click here to read the story, and click here for the fundraiser Save Gracie Belle 10:00
